Certificates of conformity - what kind of documents? How to check the certificate of conformity?

Often on the packaging of goods or in a TV when viewing advertising, you can see the inscription: "The product is certified." What does it mean? Is it possible to consider that conformity certificates are a guarantee that the mechanism will work perfectly and does not contain any harmful prohibited substances? What to ask the seller in the store of home appliances to be sure of the appropriate quality of the products sold? Let's try to understand these issues.

What are certificates of conformity?

These are documents that are issued by special bodies authorized to confirm the fact of conformity of the goods to certain qualities. Their list is determined by special bodies. And the corresponding document has received the name "Certificate of conformity". Russia has a number of organizations accredited by Gosstandart, which are entitled to issue these documents. State accreditation means that the organization is included in the system called "GOST R". These are bodies that can issue certificates of conformity. These are state institutions that regulate the activities of these bodies and the implementation of the rules by both manufacturers and sellers.

Accredited Organizations

At the same time, there are other systems that are characterized by the most narrow requirements. Thus, the WISP, which means a certification system for ensuring fire safety, confirms the fire safety requirements of various means.

In order to obtain a certificate of conformity, the body authorized to issue must have staff of the required qualifications, as well as a testing laboratory that is equipped according to the international standard. This is necessary because it must carry out tests of various products, including foreign ones.

Safety requirements

There should be an understanding that conformity certificates are not documents that testify to quality. In our case, there is only confirmation that the product meets all the requirements that are established by Russian laws. For example, if we are talking about electrical engineering, then first of all the safety rules are observed, that is:

• There should be no risk of electric shock;
• Create a fire hazard;
• Risk of burning, release of toxic gas;
• Hair loss;
• Trauma;
• Radiation;
• Radio interference.

In addition, the document contains references to the corresponding requirements of other certification systems, for example, the ISO certificate of conformity (this is an international standard). In the continuation of the conversation about household appliances, one must take into account electromagnetic compatibility. It can happen, for example, that the washing machine works so that neighbors can not watch TV because of interference on the screen. Thus, the validity of the certificate of conformity must be based on ensuring the operation of various technical devices at the same time, so as not to interfere with each other. It is noteworthy that domestic requirements for electrical appliances are more stringent compared to European ones.

Also, household appliances must meet hygiene requirements. After all, they, including, prepare food or wash clothes. Materials of manufacture, buttons and everything else should be harmless to humans. And such devices as refrigerators, in addition, must also meet the requirements of fire safety.

You can get a certificate of compliance only after the products are tested in special laboratories. And only in case of successful passage and positive results for the goods issued the relevant document.

Voluntary certification: what is the catch?

The procedure is not only mandatory, but also voluntary. If the manufacturer wishes, he can confirm the conformity of the goods to the declared characteristics. Then a certificate of conformity will be issued. This difference is marked "voluntary". But in this case, you should be careful that it does not happen that, while declaring the advantages of secondary characteristics, the manufacturer kept silent about the main ones. To avoid a dirty trick, you need to pay attention: the document should indicate that the properties are certified.

Sample

To better understand and verify the certificate of compliance, you can look at his sample.

We will study this document in more detail. Proceeding from what is written in the cap, we conclude that the document is a certificate of compliance with GOST.

1. If there is a note "Gosstandart of Russia", then the conformity sign is its emblem. At the moment they are stamped not only with documents, but also with packaging of goods that have successfully passed certification.
2. Then you can see the individual certificate number. It is for this reason that it is registered in the appropriate registry.
3. After that, the terms of the certificate of conformity are included. The document is issued approximately up to three years. However, its action can be terminated and early. This will happen if new tests (which are conducted every year) reveal a discrepancy with the established requirements. In the event that the certificate is issued to the seller, it also specifies the batch number, expiration date, size and other parameters.
4. All forms have their own individual number. If they spoil during filling, they are subject to destruction in a certain order.
5. Also on the document you will find the code of the issuing authority. It is assigned by the State Standard to all organizations that have passed the accreditation procedure. In addition to the code, its name and address are indicated.
6. In addition, the GOST certificate of conformity contains the name of the brand and model or type of product.
7. There is also a code on the all-Russian classification, as well as the nomenclature of TNVED.
8. In the clause of compliance with regulatory documents, the requirements for safety, hygiene and so on are indicated. If certification is voluntary, this section should be studied with the utmost care to avoid misleading oneself.
9. Addresses.
10. Test reports for which the document is issued. Here, the requisites and the laboratories are listed, and references are given if there are other certification systems or those that have been conducted in other countries.
11. Signatures of the head of the certification body, as well as the expert who conducted the tests, on top of which the seal is placed.

Let's consider some items separately.

Brand, model or type

The column indicates information about the same type of products. For example, they write a certain basic model of a washing machine. And the certificate will also correspond to other, more complex models, which are based on the base. But if some of them assume vertical loading, and others - horizontal, then, naturally, they will not get a single certificate of compliance.

It is important here to highlight the serial production. After all, we remember that a document can be issued both for him and for a specific lot of goods. The first way is typical for large manufacturers or for those that operate in Russia or have representative offices in our country. They are the ones who apply for a certificate of conformity (Russia).

But if production is carried out abroad, then the responsibility for the quality of the goods is borne by the trading company selling it in our country. It is she who applies for the document. Then it contains information on the volume of goods, which has a certificate of compliance with the deadlines, when the implementation of this lot is over.

Naturally, the document that is issued for batch production is more significant. It has a validity period of 3 years. But, in addition, this type of certification presupposes quite often, besides appropriate testing in the Russian laboratory, and the departure of a specialist to the place where the products are manufactured, for the purpose of conducting an inspection. During it, experts assess how quality control is carried out in the production of goods, what are the conditions for issuing it and other circumstances that are stipulated in the certification.

Foreign Economic Activity Code

In this field you enter the HS code. It is interesting only for specialists of the relevant field. Ordinary people do not pay attention to him.

All goods and items have the appropriate classes, sections, groups and so on. For each of them there is a code.

Classifiers are the largest tables, where absolutely all the products are entered, from food products to cogs, clothes and so on. These goods are imported to Russia or exported. At the same time on the certificates and other accompanying documents, certain codes are assigned, corresponding to them.

Addresses

To check the certificate of conformity it is necessary and to the address. The document should contain 2 addresses:

• Manufacturer;
• Certificate holder.

Plants can be located in different countries of the world. And the address helps to understand where the products are manufactured. However, the quality hardly depends on the country of manufacture. After all, it is known that in recent years many serious companies began to transfer production to China and South-East Asia because of cheap labor. But this does not mean that the quality of this suffers. Moreover, we remember that a certificate of compliance is a document that confirms it and is issued after an on-site inspection is carried out to the place of production.

Another address means the location of the company's head office. Often, if the production is, for example, in China, the head office continues to operate in one of the European countries. However, often the original is kept in the Moscow office of the company. After all, otherwise it would be very difficult to make copies of the document.

Receipt scheme

The document is obtained as a result of certain actions. They are different depending on the type of product. Consider what they are.

• Scheme 1 is used at a predetermined volume of goods that is delivered within a certain period of time. For imported goods, these are short-term contracts, while for the domestic ones a specific volume is envisaged. In this case, tests are carried out for complex structures. There is also a scheme 1a, which is a complement. In it, among other things, the state of production is analyzed.
• Scheme 2 is implemented for products under long-term contracts or constant deliveries under separate contracts. This is the case when the inspection is performed on samples taken from parties already imported to the territory of Russia. The term of this certificate is 1 year. In addition to testing the sample, in this case, inspection of products located on the counter is carried out. To do this, trade organizations also select samples and are transported for testing in an accredited laboratory. In this case, there is also a circuit 2a, where in addition the production state is analyzed.
• Scheme 3 is used in the case when mass production is not in doubt. This type of certificate is issued for a period of one to three years and involves testing the sample. And after the issuance of the document - the control of another sample, selected in the warehouse, before sending it to the consumer. The scheme is used for products where the quality is observed for a long time even before the procedure. Scheme 3a may also be provided, where production is analyzed prior to issuance of the document, and inspection control is carried out in the same way as in scheme 3.
• Scheme 4 is relevant for strict and comprehensive control of the serial goods. Here the sample is subjected to a complicated test. Scheme 4a further analyzes the production prior to issuance of the document.
• The most difficult is the circuit 5 . In this case, a sample sample and production are checked. Also there is a strict inspection control in the form of tests of selected samples and verification of production reliability.
• Scheme 6 is to evaluate the company's quality system. But if the enterprise already has an appropriate document, then it is enough to provide a declaration. Usually the scheme is set on a homogeneous product. To use it, the manufacturer must have a test system, which includes, among other things, monitoring all the characteristics necessary to obtain a certificate of conformity.
• Scheme 7 is usually used for a single-time nature of production. The document is issued without an expiration date. It can be used until the last goods are sold.
• Scheme 8 is implemented when it is necessary to check each product without exception.
• Scheme 9 is used for a non-recurring small batch of goods, including manufactured IP.
• Scheme 10 is used for long-term production of Russian goods in small quantities.

Where show?

Often the consumer does not understand what document should be asked from the seller to verify the quality of the purchased products. Certificate in the original in any store will not be stored. It is available only in the office of the manufacturer. But copies are made from him. First they are provided at the customs office in order to confirm the fact of passed certification in our country.

There may be a question about the initial delivery. After all, it turns out that even before the first shipment of goods was in Russia, there is already a certificate of compliance. This document, however, does not contradict logic. After all, before regular deliveries, the manufacturer sends the samples to the appropriate authorized certification body with which the required tests are carried out. Then an on-site inspection is carried out. And only if the samples pass all tests with a positive result and the goods receive their document, the customs authorities have the right to allow regular deliveries. For customs, a copy of the certificate is usually prepared, certifying it by a notary or in the body that conducted the laboratory tests.

In places of trade in goods, so that buyers can make sure that they have the necessary certification, they also prepare copies. They are assured by the issuing authority or its holder - the manufacturing company or the Russian representative office.